Advanced biofuels, chemicals capacity to reach 5.11B gallons by 2015: 207 projects, new database

November 16, 2011 |

Advanced Biofuels & Chemicals Project Database; 207 projects now tracked; 79 project updates, 27 countries in this November 2011 release; free download.

In Florida, Biofuels Digest is reporting that global advanced biofuels and renewable chemicals capacity will reach 5.11 billion gallons by 2015, up from 4.37 billion reported in May, and 3.95 billion gallons reported in January, based on company announcements to date.

Today, the Digest released version 2.0 of its free Advanced Biofuels Project Database, which tracks advanced biofuels and renewable chemicals capacity for the 2011-2016 period.

For the first time, pure-play renewable chemicals projects are included in the database, including projects from Blue Marble Biomaterials, Genomatica, Metabolix, Myriant, NatureWorks, Rivertop Renewables, Segetis, and Verdezyne.

“Advanced biofuels are now on track to become a $20 billion global business by 2015,” noted Biofuels Digest editor & publisher Jim Lane, who complies the database. “However, let’s focus on the trend, while exhibiting caution on the numbers, given the great deal of policy and financial uncertainty.”

Lane noted the emergence of the strategic investors as drivers of the sharp growth rates in the sector. “It is worth noting that giant companies are backing these projects, in addition to the start-ups and venture-backed firms that have been in the game for several years.” Lane said. BP, Shell, Total, Chevron, Petrobras, Marathon, DuPont, Dow, BASF, Bao Steel, Roquette, PTT Chemical, FHR, Valero, Waste Management, and INEOS are among those investing in the commercialization of advanced industrial biotechnology.

79 project updates; projects in 27 countries

The new database includes updates on 79 new projects, and includes projects in 27 countries, including Australia, Austria, Brazil, Chile, China, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Sweden and the US.

Companies updating their guidance include Abengoa, Algenol, Amyris, BioAmber, BP Biofuels, Celenese, Cellana, Chempolis, COFCO, Comet Biorefining, DSM, Dynamotive, EdeniQ, Elevance Renewable Sciences, Genomatica, Gevo, Highlands EnviroFuels, Honeywell’s UOP, LS9, Phycal, Phyco, Renmatix, Solazyme, Solena, Sundrop Fuels, Terrabon, TMO Renewables, Verdezyne, Virent and ZeaChem.

Key projects and capacities

The database now tracks 207 advanced biofuels and biomaterials projects, up from 128 in May 2011. Overall, the compiled data projects  that overall advanced industrial biotech capacity will reach 1.21 billion gallons in 2012, 2.15 billion by 2013, 3.24 billion by 2014, and 5.11 billion by 2015. This compares to 1.577 billion by 2012, 2.574 billion by 2013, and 3.283 billion gallons by 2014 in the May projection.

Major projects scheduled to come online in 2012 include: the Enerkem waste to ethanol facility in Alberta, the 8 million gallon Ineos BIO waste to ethanol project in Florida, a 1st commercial facility from Amyris in Brazil, the Chemtex cellulosic ethanol project in Italy, Gevo’s isobutanol project in Minnesota, KiOR’s first commercial facility, a demonstration project from LS9 in Florida, POET’s Project LIBERTY, a and a first commercial facility from Solazyme (with Roquette)

Renewable drop-in fuels and chemicals (renewable gasoline, renewable jet, renewable diesel, and biobutanol) dropped to 55 percent of total capacity by 2015, down from 59 percent in May, as ethanol deployments accelerated.

Free download

The latest Advanced Biofuels Project Database can be downloaded here.

Category: Fuels

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